While Tak was shooting the D.A.R.T. Fall/Holiday 2011 Lookbook in Brooklyn, Nightbomb hung out and documented the action. The gang met up at Affinity Cycles and then rode over to Greenpoint and posted up to shoot photos. From there it was out for some good old fashioned burlesque fun!

There’s something jarring when you first listen to Lost Tribe, it could be the flanged out guitar or the buried organ thumping through out their songs. Though, as you dig deeper you realize that these dark pop songs are sprinkled with everything from Crust to Oi Punk and everything in between. After this realization it’s hard not to get sucked in to their brand of Phaidia meets The Warriors meets Dirt.

Although it might be easy to peg them as “Crust Goth”, there’s a lot more going on here than meets a some stupid Last.FM tag. Songs like “Gunk” and “The Laughter” have the aggressiveness of any great Discharge song but are spun in a completely different direction due to Davey’s vocals being extremely high in the mix. Despite the fact it’s no secret that all of the members of this Richmond, Virginia band have and are also in more pure Crust punk bands, it seems that Lost Tribe in a sense, is a combination of what everything these guys have done before.

Whereas Iceage has been all the rage the past few months with their combination of Warsaw songs played by The Oppressed, there is something I find a bit more interesting with what Lost Tribe is doing. The vibe you get when playing their demo or full length LP (out now via Blind Prophet Records) isn’t that of youth, it’s something way darker and much more cynical. Instead of songs being pure three minute blasts one after another, they pay off is the depth within these songs.

I have yet to see Lost Tribe live, but from the videos I’ve seen it’s not only more aggressive, but also a  sense or urgency I haven’t seen in a punk band in a very long time.  It’s almost as if each song is their last and this is the finish line for them. While they certainly aren’t trying to pull the “Mysterious Guy/Messageboard Hardcore” card, it still is hard to come by a lot of information from them. Honestly, that’s kind of refreshing, not because it’s mysterious, but because they let the music do the talking for them.

Our good friends over at Check Yo Ponytail are packing their bags and hitting the road! That’s right, we’re proud to announce the first ever Check Yo Ponytail Tour is kicking off October 20th at the Mayan Theatre in Los Angeles and then heading all across the country! Featuring Spank Rock, Big Freedia, The Death Set, Pictureplane, and resident CYP DJ, Franki Chan, this tour is going to be an explosion of sonic party swag.

Headlining the CYP tour is hip hop duo Spank Rock, comprised of rapper Naeem Juwan, otherwise known as emcee Spank Rock and producer XXXChange. Combining electro synths with aggressive hip hop drums, Spank Rock distinctly danceable sound. Additionally, look out for these Spankers to be performing new material on this tour from their upcoming, September 27 sophomore release, Everything is Boring and Everyone is a Fucking Liar. Sounds happy.

Also hitting the road with Spank Rock is New Orleans’ bouncer, Big Freedia. Bounce Music, and energetic, 80′s dance-inspired type of groove, has been making waves in the streets of New Orleans housing projects where it was born, and Freedia is the self-proclaimed “Queen Diva”. She also performs a derivative of Bounce Music reserved for self-proclaimed “Sissies”, a term for individuals who are biologically of the male persuasion with varied and ambiguous sexual identities.

The tour kicks off on October 20th in CYP hometown, Los Angeles, and wraps up on November 6th in Austin, Texas. Also, dig on the mix below that Franki Chan put together to promote the tour featuring joints from Friendly Fires, Joy O, xxxy, and more. After the jump check out the full list of dates  as well as the tracklist for Chan’s Yes We Chan Vol. 1 Mixtape, and get your TICKETS HERE! Do it!

Check Yo Ponytail 2 tour:
10-20  Los Angeles, CA – The Mayan $
10-21  San Francisco, CA – Mezzanine $
10-22  San Diego, CA – Voyeur *
10-25  Denver, CO – Summit $
10-26  Portland, OR – Branx $
10-27  Seattle, WA – Neumos $
10-28  Chicago, IL – The Mid %
10-29  New York, NY – Brooklyn Bowl #
11-05  Miami, FL – Grand Central ^
11-06  Austin, TX – Fun Fun Fun Fest ^

$ with Big Freedia, the Death Set, Pictureplane, and Franki Chan
% with Spank Rock, the Death Set, Pictureplane, and Franki Chan
# with Spank Rock, Big Freedia, the Death Set, Pictureplane, and Franki Chan* with Big Freedia, Pictureplane, and Franki Chan
^ with Spank Rock, Big Freedia, Pictureplane, and Franki Chan

Franki Chan – Yes We Chan Vol. 1 Mixtape
1. Glass Actor – What I Couldn’t Do
2. Joy O – Sicko Cell
3. French Fries & Bambounou – Hugz
4. XXXY -  Open Your Eyes
5. A1 Bassline – Falsehood
6. Girl Unit: – Wut (Claude Vonstroke’s Butt Naked Mix)
7. Greenmony – Into You (French Fries Remix feat. Roses Gabor)
8. Deepchild – Claps
9. Green Velvet & Russoul – Millie Vanillie
10. Monarchy – I Won’t Let Go (Myd & Sam Tiba Remix)
11. Friendly Fires – Hawaiian Air (Seiji Remix)
12. Unknown to the Unknown – Mystery Dragon
13. Braille – The Year 3000

Chicago duo, The Hood Internet, is back with their latest genre-defying mash-up mix, Trillwave 2. Combining emcees such as Lupe Fiasco, Raekwon, and Lil’ B, with the likes of Com Truise, Cults, and Toro Y Moi, this mix is perfect for those end-of-summer barbecues and erupting-hydrant parties. The mix is drenched with summer time fun, ripping your favorite emcees away from their traditional hip hop backgrounds and throwing ‘em in the pool with some iced tea and some indie rock and chillwave.

If you’re still not up on Hood Internet yet, the guys responsible for “The Best Mash-Ups This Side of the Web,” check them out in our Bloglin profile piece. ABX and STV SLV, the duo behind The Hood, have been killing it for the last few years using digital alchemy to blend today’s hottest hip hop, rap, indie, and R&B. And Trillwave 2 is no exception; this mix slaps.

Hit up our Мишка Soundcloud to download Trillwave 2 for FREE, and if you have yet to, make sure you get the original Trillwave also. Get this right now, because knowing you like I do, you’re gonna wanna download this mix to play in your car, at the park, and anywhere else you dare to play your music. Also, catch The Hood Internet this Saturday, July 30, at the Mad Decent 2011 Block Party! It’s free, it’s all ages, it’s at South Street Seaport Pier 17 in Manhattan. What more could you want?

The Hood Internet – Trillwave 2 by Мишка Bloglin

Check out the full tracklist for Trillwave 2 after the jump. Trillwave: Swag.

(more…)

Jazz doesn’t get that much attention here on the Bloglin, but because it’s one of my favorite types of music, along with Jazzy Hip Hop and Hip Hop-influenced Jazz, that’s going to change. Today we’re going to take a look at contemporary pianist and composer, Robert Glasper. Born in Houston, Texas, Glasper is one of the greatest pianists, composers, and all around musicians to come out in years, and is owed more by the jazz community than anyone in recent memory. Glasper strays from the traditional, tired path of contemporary Jazz by combining the oft-predictable genre with elements of Hip Hop and, in turn, pushing Jazz to unexplored realms.

The video above comes from Glasper’s recent stint through Europe with his experimental fusion group, The RCDC Experiment, and features MF Doom on the mic (hence the witty, though misleading title, for as we all know, Jazz as a genre is far from doomed). Together they run through Doom’s “Rhinestone Cowboy“, off Madvillainy, his joint album with Madlib. Glasper seamlessly brings Madlib’s original production to life and creates, as he is known to do, the ideal background for an emcee to rap over.

Besides just being influenced by Hip Hop, Glasper has placed a profound, behind-the-scenes mark on Hip Hop through his friendship with the late J Dilla. Glasper’s signature composition and playing style largely influenced Dilla’s production and can be witnessed in many of his classic beats.

Four albums in, Glasper’s latest, 2009′s Double-Booked, was split between more traditional, trio work, and experimental, fusion. He’s currently in the studio recording an album comprised entirely of fusion tunes, featuring guests Mos Def, Lupe Fiasco, Bilal, King, and others. Glasper is undoubtedly one of the most talented, innovative artists out right now, on top of just being one of my favorites.

Check out more footage above from his February performance with Lupe at The Blue Note (also, note drummer Chris Dave‘s insanely dope playing), and below dig on the standout cut, “FTB”, from his 2007 album, In My Element. Look for the new RCDC album soon.

Raw Moans are an up-and-coming San Diego-based electro band. Their music features dippy, otherworldy techno swirls and a healthy dose of Casio sensibilities. Their cache of songs are simple, chirpy and romantic-sounding, like the aural version of a breezy afternoon picnic. As of right now, they’ve only released a few things, but if their Myspace is to be believed, plenty more is on the way. Most recently, they put out a cassette of remixes on Trivial Pursuit called RW RW RMX, which features their takes on songs from Мишка faves Blissed Out and Mater Suspiria Vision, among others.

They’re currently a part of Witch House-oriented Los Angeles record label Disaro Records, which seems to have a knack for finding the best obscure musical talent out there. Unlike some of the heavier bands on the label, like the perpetually fucked-up sound of Ðose or the aforementioned project, Mater Suspiria Vision, Raw Moans keep it poppy as hell to the point where you’ll be wondering if they’ve ever experienced a hardship in their life. So much for witch house! Maybe they’re the Glindas of the bunch.

Raw Moans will be a favorite of those who wish Beach House was just a little more twee and ghostly. Their songs are as airy as their titles, things like “Rose Bath” and “Nectarine,” might suggest. It’s a little ironic that such a delicate-sounding band would call themselves something like “Raw Moans,” especially since it invokes the name of one of the most famed punk bands of all time, but I guess that’s just a further testament to the playful nature that these cats embody.

Although they just released their first album, We Want it Beautiful Not Real, in September 2010, they’ve released a trove of other material since then that you can pick up for free over at their Bandcamp. As a result, there’s plenty of flowery pop goodness that you can moan along with until they decide to unleash their next release onto the world. Get to listening!

Redefining what it means to play “heavy” music, Burmese brings waves of pain that undulate grief and disgust, ultimately forming a sea of loathing and madness that surrounds and pulls you further from safety. With each consecutive release, they become an uglier and more disgusting mass never slowing or solidifying. Around now you may be asking yourself “If this band is so fucking awesome, why haven’t I heard of them?”, well it’s for you pizza-faced record collectors that I am writing this post, so please put your raging nerd boner back in those khakis and continue reading.

Burmese is, as their name suggests, a snake with a constantly ebbing string of members forming the muscular body through which it crushes the bones of the listener. The San Franciscan group has recorded and released a number of albums and collaborations on different labels as any true nomadic entity should. With an unstable roster that boasts, no-wave instrumentalist Weasel Walter of the weirdo genre-free Flying Luttenbachers and a consistent female vocalist, the band has become more of a collective than anything else.

Burmese is Dead, their hard-to-find first release, bleeds feedback and burns with 80′s hardcore intensity, think Infest on human growth hormones. Tongue-in-cheek song titles, “Fuck Curfew War Anthem” and “Red Blood, China White”, along with Misfits and D.R.I. covers, act as iron-ic floodgates that clang open, unleashing a hail of screams and uneasy bass lines. After checking out this album, and subsequently listening to the next couple, you’ll have a better understanding of how their sound just won’t sit still, squirming with bitter agitation and venomous rage.

A year later, Monkeys Tear Man To Shreds, Man Never Forgives Ape, Man Destroys Environment, their colossal second release and my personal favorite, smacks listeners in the fucking mouth and tells them to shave their head. This shit is seriously heavy stuff that relies on the raw sonic capacity of their amplifiers to work the crank for hits such as “WWWII”. Comprised of short spurts of brutality and extended (meaning always under 2 minutes) terrorizing jams the album is one of their most crushing to date.

It is now 2011, another year closer to our extinction, and Burmese is here to tell you it’s not gonna be alright. Their album Lun Yurn is cruelty pressed to vinyl, pulling lightning-fast punches over unconventional, stop-and-go time signatures. All the song titles are in Chinese but I’m sure Google Translate could provide you with some fun results. Lun Yurn holds the proud title of most melodically sadistic album to date. Self-serving songs for spurning your fellow man.

So there you have it. Do I really need to say anymore? Has it not been drilled into your head far enough? Buy, download, steal their records, they won’t care either way, just give it a shot and reign in devastation. For fans of Billy Joel and RuPaul.

It’s always boggled my mind that Burial Hex hasn’t gained a significant amount of notoriety among both black metal and noise fans alike. They exemplify ingenuity and artistry in a field that is, quite frankly, dying of mediocrity. It seems as though among the endless torrent of limited cassette editions and small vinyl pressings being churned out by hit-or-miss poseurs that many a great artist has been swallowed up in a sea of shit. Burial Hex is one of those artists.

Clay Ruby aka Burial Hex has had his fair share of releases over the past years including a collaboration album with Zola Jesus, that had been released by UK label, Aurora Borealis. His first endeavor Initiations is a jarring pastiche of moonlit slaughter and sacrifice backed by eerily mistimed clanging partnered with foreboding pitch-shifting. The stark realness of the album seems to suck you in like a gory tree-trimming accident reported on by the local news station.

Eschatology I is their newest and first recording in the “Procession of Nightfall” series, a prolonged seance opening portals to a ghostly realm, as well as their primary outing on the budding Brave Mysteries label. The release signifies a clear progression as frozen bleakness combines with a driving yet whispered spirit wind producing a subtle yet complex entity.

His extensive back catalog of albums showcases a talent for giving the natural world a touch of evil. The blackened hissing and tonal misanthropy carries on, changing with each tape. The new cassette is out of 100 but don’t let that deter you from checking out the absolute ritualistic darkness that is Burial Hex.

Burial Hex – Book of Delusions (Burial Hex St Hilarys Day Remix) by Burial Hex

Accident is a French two-piece who are probably cooler than you. If they were a haircut they’d be super angular. If they were an album cover they’d be Rio. If they were an instrument they’d be a keytar. They’re here to make New Wave new again. Don’t fuck with them.

I’m not really sure what they’re talk-singing about, but it sure sounds good between a steady stream of bleeps, bloops. jangly guitars and basslines that would make Robert Smith’s mascara run all over the place. They have an album and an EP available on BandCamp that are both a really good throwback time.

“Vert Bleu Noir,” the opening track of their self-titled album, has that lovely sound of being recorded in a big echoing room. Cousins Jéremy Monteiro and Laurent Maudoux take notes from everything from Tears For Fears to Neue Deutsche Welle, but add their own spin on it. It sounds like new wave but made by people who grew up listening to grunge and alt-rock radio. The songs are a little looser than you would expect, and often subtly build to a head nodding fever pitch.

Sometimes they sing in English as well, and it’s got that always interesting directness of a translation, which suits the music perfectly. There’s also an impressive level of detail to the tracks, that are just as easy to pick apart through headphones as they are to dance to. As long as you dance really, really cool.

First, but certainly not foremost, a glowing recommendation from Мишка favorite Com Truise is a more than acceptable place to begin a musical career. But Jacob 2-2, a Brooklyn based electronic artist who’s received said accolades, is refreshingly humble about it. He just wants you to listen to his work. However coy he’d like to be about his talent, make no mistake: the man has tapped into a secret zone that is at once classically comforting and wonderfully modern.

Before I get too wordy about it, I’d like to stress that, above all else, the work of Jacob 2-2 is a joy to listen to. When I say joy, I don’t mean in a “let’s marvel at his technical proficiency” sort of way (though that proficiency is there, in spades), but a primal, gorgeous enjoyment sense. Less than a minute into “The Dinosaurs Of Cabazon,” the seductive first track off his recent Cabazon EP, an auto-tuned voice lilts out the word “California.” He may be from BK, but his music captures that (as a CA native, unfortunately mostly fictional) sense of an endless summer. A landscape in which warm, lush things simply occur.

Jacob 2-2 clearly knows a lot about music. On tracks like “Brainstorms” you are especially exposed to his knowledge of jazz and interpretive instrumentation, in a way reminiscent of his peer Flying Lotus. But even those moments, while acknowledging the existence of musical experiment, remain in a major key (musically and tonally), lending an air of fun to the record.

I find myself feeling nostalgic when I listen to these songs, even if I’m not exactly sure what I’m feeling nostalgic about. It’s an altogether puzzling effect, mostly because it feels so natural. Whereas many modern electronic artists have accepted the vision of a robotic future, Jacob 2-2 maintain a human touch. He’s making music to be enjoyed by people. He’s got a Soundcloud full of tunes and You can get his first two EP’s for free on Bandcamp. I’d certainly recommend it.